BAGUIO CITY—Mayor Mauricio Domogan has ordered the City Engineer’s Office to look into the possibility of facilitating the completion of the construction of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council building to address concerns on disaster response.
He said the 252 calendar days for the contractor to complete the center structure was too long, thus, the need for the engineering office to look for possible ways to compel the contractor to complete the project earlier than its prescribed schedule.
“We have to make sure that we will be able to maximize the use of the disaster operation center building by next year so we will be able to decongest the city hall building,” Domogan stressed.
City Engineer Elpidio Garabiles admitted the contractor of the 3-story structure is still working on the foundation of the building that includes an underground parking for vehicles.
Garabiles predicted the completion of the project could go up to one year for the initial funding of P70 million.
But the city’s technical personnel will try to look into possible ways and means on how to speed up constructing the structure that will serve as the city’s central disaster operation center and evacuation facility.
Domogan argued being the implementing office for the project, there was a need for the contractor to work double time so the local government would be able to use the disaster and evacuation center in the future.
Garabiles disclosed the ground floor of the structure would serve as the city’s disaster operation center, the second floor an evacuation center while the third and upper floors to be added would be used as the training center.
The local government will try to source out additional funds for the put up of additional floors of the building to accommodate more facilities in one area for closer coordination among concerned offices.
Local governments are mandated by law to allocate at least 5 percent of their respective internal revenue allotments to bankroll the implementation of disaster risk reduction and management interventions.
This would also guarantee preparedness during emergency and calamity situations.